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Post by Madeleine

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Hello perfumed peeps!

Today, I want to focus on a scent that has recently been launched in Australia – Je t’aime Jane by UK fashion designer, Bella Freud.

Bella Freud is the daughter of painter Lucian Freud and the great granddaughter of the famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. She has launched a range of perfumes named after the slogans that adorn her fashion collection and Je t’aime Jane is a the white floral of the bunch. The perfume celebrates actress Jane Birkin, and more specifically, her famous duet with Serge Gainsbourg, Je t’aime…moi non plus.

Je t’aime Jane by Bella Freud 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine absolute, Ylang-ylang, Orange blossom, Queen of the night, Oud, Sandalwood, Musk

So, how does it smell? Upon first blast, Je t’aime Jane feels like a perfume in reverse. Rather than starting out with the traditional top notes of bergamot and other citruses, this scent opens up with a mammoth does of black oud and sandalwood, so much so that on first application, I was completely overwhelmed and thought I’d sprayed the wrong perfume. Where were the white florals?

But slowly, slowly, these accords in Je t’aime Jane reveals themselves. It’s a gentle unfolding, like peeling back layers of onion skin, that the perfume morphs and softens in a gentle segue from dark to light.

 Photo Stolen WikiMedia

After the initial woody rush, the orange blossom comes to the fore and it’s thick and sweet. But it is not cloying, there’s enough of the woods in the background to anchor it and prevent it from becoming overly shrill and overblown. It is warm and comforting and melds to the skin like a big warm fluffy coat. The orange blossom also tempers the gothic like quality of the opening – there’s a prettiness and hopefulness to it, but there’s still a hint of melancholy. The dark clouds of winter have started to part from their recent dose of driving rain and the spring sun is starting to peek through, but not all the greyness of the day has lifted, just yet.

But wait a little longer and the scent gets lighter and more airy – the jasmine starts to peek its head through it all and unveil itself, at first all heavy and indolic and then getting greener and more transparent. It’s pretty-pretty at this stage and all flirty, but the woods are still there. This girl may like her lipstick, but she’s dressed in all black with tortoisehell framed glasses and a vintage camel hair coat rather than a cashmere twinset and pearls and coral nails.

Je t’aime Jane has average longevity and minimal sillage and whilst it is thick with white florals and woods, its lack of sillage makes it a personal and introspective scent. The scent was the perfect accompaniment to a recent chilly day here in Melbourne when I was clad all in black, praying for spring to finally arrive and only getting more cold and gusts of rain. The only think that struck me was I would have expected it to be a little bit more bohemian and quirky in character to truly encapture the enigma of Jane Birkin. Nevertheless, if you are an oud fan, or like florals thick with woods, this is a good one to try.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: lips so facto and Fashion Editor at Large
Mecca Cosmetica has $168/50ml
Luckyscent has samples $4/.7ml

Have you tried any of the Bella Freud scents? What’s your top pick for a scent for Jane Birkin?

With much love till next time,
M xx

(Ed: There seems to be some confusion on the perfumer so I left it out)